Last year, Visconti introduced several lower-priced products into their lineup, in an attempt to diversify away from the ultra-high end pens for which the brand has become known. Until now, even Visconti pens with steel nibs approached $200, but the new Visconti Breeze and Visconti Mirage are both consistently priced at a much lower, and, dare I say it, almost entry level price point? The Breeze can be found at sub-$100, depending on your retailer, and Visconti has emerged as a player in a segment of the pen market that is becoming increasingly competitive.
I love the resin on this pen. Previously, to get pens in similar patterns you would have to shell out for a Visconti Van Gogh or a Visconti Rembrandt.
The pen featured in this review is the Mirage - priced slightly higher than the Breeze - and it presents quite a bit of value. Here, Visconti has managed to offer a quality writer at a reasonable price, while still incorporating the luxury spirit of the brand and retaining the brand’s hallmarks, such as the iconic Visconti clip. My favorite aspects of this pen include:
Material. Appelboom sent me the “Amber” Mirage to review, and it’s made from a beautiful vegetal resin reminiscent of some of the Visconti Van Gogh pens, specifically my “Vincent’s Chair” edition, though this material has a touch more orange/brown to it. The body of the pen features a soft hexagonal design that is comfortable to hold, and the rounded facets, combined with the clip, make this a great pen for work because it’s not going to roll off a desk.
Cap Design. I love how Visconti still includes its signature “Arc” clip on these lower-priced pens. Though some people react strongly to the shape, I’m a fan, and I think the clip adds a lot of sophistication to what would otherwise be a relatively ordinary pen design. The cap also features a magnetic twist closure, which feels quite secure with no wiggle when capped. The one feature of the Mirage I could do without is the oversized cap band, which I found a bit much, especially the word “MIRAGE” written across the front.
Nib. In terms of an out-of-the-box writing experience, I’ve found that Visconti’s steel nibs write better than their much more expensive palladium offerings. Though the steel nibs sometimes need a bit of smoothing, they aren’t so wet as to be unusable on anything but the most fountain-pen friendly paper, which is the issue I’ve had with more expensive Visconti pens. The steel nib on this Mirage is an excellent writer, but I do wish Visconti had opted for a larger No. 6 nib instead of this No. 5. It always strikes me as a bit awkward to have a smaller nib on a full-size pen.
If Visconti is going to go with this oversized cap band, why not continue the etching all the way around and omit the “Mirage” engraving? I don’t mind subtle branding, and “Visconti” etched on the clip doesn’t set me off, but there’s no need to go further than that.
Takeaways and Where to Buy
I only had a brief time with the Mirage, since it was sent to me on loan from Appelboom and needs to go home to the Netherlands, but I came away impressed. I’m glad to see Visconti expand their lineup to include a wider variety of pens at different price points, and I hope this trend continues, especially if they can maintain consistent quality control. Visconti’s signature “Arc” clip immediately makes the Mirage look like a much more expensive pen, and if you’re a fan of Visconti’s designs, this pen would be a great introduction to the brand. Personally, the biggest thing holding me back from acquiring a Mirage for my own personal collection is the nib, which writes quite well but in my opinion looks disproportionately small on the pen.
You can purchase the Visconti Mirage from our sponsor Appelboom, currently priced at around $130, depending on the exchange rate. The Mirage comes in six different colors: Amber, Azure Blue, Coral, Emerald Green, Horn Grey, and Night Blue. Appelboom also carries the full range of Visconti pens, including the Breeze, the flagship Homo Sapiens, and a wide array of limited and special editions.
Disclaimer: Our sponsor Appelboom loaned me this pen for review purposes, free of charge. This post may contain affiliate links. Many thanks to Appelboom for making this review possible.